Because co-occurring native and invasive plants are subjected to similar environmental selection pressures,the differences in functional traits and reproductive allocation strategies between native and invasive plants...Because co-occurring native and invasive plants are subjected to similar environmental selection pressures,the differences in functional traits and reproductive allocation strategies between native and invasive plants may be closely related to the success of the latter.Accordingly,this study examines differences in functional traits and reproductive allocation strategies between native and invasive plants in Eastern China.Plant height,branch number,reproductive branch number,the belowground-to-aboveground biomass ratio,and the reproductive allocation coefficient of invasive plants were all notably higher than those of native species.Additionally,the specific leaf area(SLA)values of invasive plants were remarkably lower than those of native species.Plasticity indexes of SLA,maximum branch angle,and branch number of invasive plants were each notably lower than those of native species.The reproductive allocation coefficient was positively correlated with reproductive branch number and the belowground-to-aboveground biomass ratio but exhibited negative correlations with SLA and aboveground biomass.Plant height,branch number,reproductive branch number,the belowground-to-aboveground biomass ratio,and the reproductive allocation coefficient of invasive plants may strongly influence the success of their invasions.展开更多
Aims Predicting drought consequences on forests and fruit crop plantings requires improved understanding of drought responses of both leaf and fine-root resource acquisitive traits(specific leaf area—SLA,specific roo...Aims Predicting drought consequences on forests and fruit crop plantings requires improved understanding of drought responses of both leaf and fine-root resource acquisitive traits(specific leaf area—SLA,specific root surface area—SRA and specific root length—SRL).We hypothesize their responses are coordinated towards integrated plant resource conservation under severe drought.Methods We tested the hypothesis with a greenhouse-based drought experiment on saplings of six Prunus hybrids with a priori known contrasting drought sensitivity.Saplings were subjected to either control(100%field capacity)or severe drought stress treatment(33%evapotranspiration of hybrid-specific control plants).Sample collections were carried out at 30 and at 60 days after the start of treatments,for both control and stressed saplings.Important Findings No hybrid showed concurrent significant decrease of SLA and SRA(or SRL)under severe drought.The fine-root traits of the six hybrids showed two major drought-response scenarios,in particular:(i)increased root tissue density(RTD)and decreased average root diameter without significant change of SRL and(ii)increased RTD and decreased SRL without significant change of average root diameter.Drought responses of leaf gas exchange,SRA,SRL and RTD were closely correlated along a gradient towards resource conservation from control to drought-stressed plants in all hybrids,which was orthogonal to another gradient characterized by a hybrid-dependent decrease of SLA.These findings highlight(i)the multi-dimensionality of root-trait drought responses,(ii)the decoupling between leaf economics and leaf hydraulics and(iii)the covariation of leaf and root hydraulics in terms of trait drought responses.The study contributes to identifying the origin of the multi-dimensionality of root-trait drought response at intraspecific scale,and highlights differential drought–response combinations of leaf and fine-root traits among hybrids to survive under severe soil drought stress.展开更多
基金Project(31300343)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaProject supported by Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Technology and Material of Water Treatment,ChinaProject(12JDG086)supported by Research Foundation for Advanced Talents of Jiangsu University,China
文摘Because co-occurring native and invasive plants are subjected to similar environmental selection pressures,the differences in functional traits and reproductive allocation strategies between native and invasive plants may be closely related to the success of the latter.Accordingly,this study examines differences in functional traits and reproductive allocation strategies between native and invasive plants in Eastern China.Plant height,branch number,reproductive branch number,the belowground-to-aboveground biomass ratio,and the reproductive allocation coefficient of invasive plants were all notably higher than those of native species.Additionally,the specific leaf area(SLA)values of invasive plants were remarkably lower than those of native species.Plasticity indexes of SLA,maximum branch angle,and branch number of invasive plants were each notably lower than those of native species.The reproductive allocation coefficient was positively correlated with reproductive branch number and the belowground-to-aboveground biomass ratio but exhibited negative correlations with SLA and aboveground biomass.Plant height,branch number,reproductive branch number,the belowground-to-aboveground biomass ratio,and the reproductive allocation coefficient of invasive plants may strongly influence the success of their invasions.
基金supported by the Australian almond industry through Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited(Hort Innovation)using the almond industry research and development levy and funds from the Australian Government(AL13009)In-kind funding support from The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation(CSIRO)is also gratefully acknowledged.
文摘Aims Predicting drought consequences on forests and fruit crop plantings requires improved understanding of drought responses of both leaf and fine-root resource acquisitive traits(specific leaf area—SLA,specific root surface area—SRA and specific root length—SRL).We hypothesize their responses are coordinated towards integrated plant resource conservation under severe drought.Methods We tested the hypothesis with a greenhouse-based drought experiment on saplings of six Prunus hybrids with a priori known contrasting drought sensitivity.Saplings were subjected to either control(100%field capacity)or severe drought stress treatment(33%evapotranspiration of hybrid-specific control plants).Sample collections were carried out at 30 and at 60 days after the start of treatments,for both control and stressed saplings.Important Findings No hybrid showed concurrent significant decrease of SLA and SRA(or SRL)under severe drought.The fine-root traits of the six hybrids showed two major drought-response scenarios,in particular:(i)increased root tissue density(RTD)and decreased average root diameter without significant change of SRL and(ii)increased RTD and decreased SRL without significant change of average root diameter.Drought responses of leaf gas exchange,SRA,SRL and RTD were closely correlated along a gradient towards resource conservation from control to drought-stressed plants in all hybrids,which was orthogonal to another gradient characterized by a hybrid-dependent decrease of SLA.These findings highlight(i)the multi-dimensionality of root-trait drought responses,(ii)the decoupling between leaf economics and leaf hydraulics and(iii)the covariation of leaf and root hydraulics in terms of trait drought responses.The study contributes to identifying the origin of the multi-dimensionality of root-trait drought response at intraspecific scale,and highlights differential drought–response combinations of leaf and fine-root traits among hybrids to survive under severe soil drought stress.